


Fools in Love

by snapchattingnct



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Mark Lee (NCT), Alpha Suh Youngho | Johnny, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Regency, Bottom Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Omega Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Omega Lee Taeyong, Rimming, Smut, Strangers to Lovers, Top Mark Lee (NCT), ankles bro ankles lol, so whipped for donghyuck man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snapchattingnct/pseuds/snapchattingnct
Summary: “Oh, Mark Lee,” Johnny continued to laugh, one that slowly turned into a full guffaw. “A little ankle isn’t going to kill anyone. Plus, I think his ankles are pretty cute. Don’t you think so?”No, Johnny was wrong— very wrong. A little bit of ankle was going to be enough to give him a heart attack. And Lee Donghyuck? The omega was going to be the death of him, no doubt about it.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 40
Kudos: 852
Collections: A/B/O NCT Round 1





	Fools in Love

**Author's Note:**

> For a/b/o nct fic fest, prompt #009: Jane Austen/Regency Era Markhyuck: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single Alpha in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a mate”
> 
> Whew, well this was one heck of a wild ride. But let me just tell you, technology really wasn't on my side this time with this fic because it was a struggle to get it posted. 
> 
> I just want to thank the prompter for this prompt because I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice so this prompt called out for me the moment I saw it. I can only hope that I managed to give it justice with what I managed to write. 
> 
> I also want to thank the a/b/o nct fic fest mod, mod e, for dealing with my troublesome ass. I'm so sorry for all the troubles that I've put you through T.T
> 
> Unbetaed so please ignore all errors or mistakes I may have missed!
> 
> Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed this one!

“Did you see the Lee’s middle son?” Mark hissed, eyes completely trained on the omega he was referring to. Shifting on the balls of his feet, Mark felt his breath get caught in his throat, the collar of his shirt practically suffocating, as he watched the way the golden boy threw his head back, cheeks glowing. “Like do you _see_ him?” 

Johnny hummed, taking a small sip out of his flute of champagne. “Hmm, I do, but what about him?” 

“Do you see what he’s wearing?” Mark sputtered, eyes growing wide. Tearing his eyes from the omega, Mark threw his best friend a desperate look. “ _Please_ tell me you see it.” 

“He’s dressed just like anyone else at the ball, Mark.” Johnny laughed. 

“You can see his ankles!” Mark half shouted, half whispered, a pretty blush dusting his cheeks. “His pants are way _too_ short.” 

“Oh, Mark Lee,” Johnny continued to laugh, one that slowly turned into a full guffaw. “A little ankle isn’t going to kill anyone. Plus, I think his ankles are pretty cute. Don’t you think so?”

Mark sputtered at that, his cheeks burning even more furiously than before. Unable to help himself, he allowed his eyes to drop downwards to look at the sliver of honeyed skin that was put on display again. It was pretty. Honestly, everything about him was pretty— from his warm eyes, darling curly locks, freckle decorated cheeks, and rosy pink lips. He was just so _pretty_. 

Once his brain finally caught up and processed his own thoughts, Mark was mortified. He did not just think that. 

Johnny simply pushed another flute of champagne into his hands and clinked their glasses together, saying, “I told you a stop in Netherfield would be worthwhile. Now come on, we need to get a little more alcohol into your system if you're going to survive through the night with this little crush of yours." 

"I do not have a crush!" Mark retorted before taking the alcohol that Johnny was offering him because Johnny wasn't wrong. He was going to need a lot of alcohol. But truthfully, he was already drunk and way over his head just from looking at Lee Donghyuck, alone. 

"It's definitely a crush, my dear Markie." Johnny snickered. "Don't think that I haven't seen the way you've been staring at him all night long. You've had your eyes glued on him the second you saw him." 

Johnny wasn't wrong, again. He had been staring at Donghyuck since the beginning of the ball. It was kind of hard not to. Not when someone as ridiculously attractive as the omega was standing in the same room as him, practically right in front of him. During all of his travels, thanks to Johnny, Mark had crossed paths with a fair share of omegas. He had seen them all; of every personality set, social class, and beauties. But none of them have ever made him look back a second time. The Lee’s youngest son though, Mark stumbled over his own two feet when his eyes first landed on the omega, and then he proceeded to look back twice, thrice, until he lost count. He just simply couldn’t drag his eyes away, there was _something_ about him that drew him in. 

"Alright, you're now three flutes of champagnes deep. I think that should be enough liquid courage for you to ask him to dance the next song with you." Johnny told him, taking the now empty glass out of his hands. "Staring at him all night isn't going to get you a mate." 

"I am not asking him to dance." Mark gasped. He was appalled that Johnny would even suggest an idea as such. "Absolutely not." 

"And why not?'"

"Because..." 

"Because what?" Johnny raised a slightly judgemental eyebrow at him. When he couldn't come up with anything to say, or to defend his ground, Johnny tsked. "Exactly, there's no reason that you can't be a charming, polite gentleman and ask a pretty omega that has taken your interest, to dance a song together." 

"Easy for you to say!" Mark cried out. "You've already danced with half the omegas here, Johnny." 

"Ah, yes, that I did." Johnny smiled. "I even danced with the Lee's eldest son, twice. I might just ask him to dance another song with me before the night ends." 

"Another one? Wasn't one enough? I haven't even asked Donghyuck out for a single dance yet and I already want to vomit from the nerves." 

"Even more reasons why you need to ask him to a dance." Johnny continued to push him. "If you don't, you're going to regret it for the rest of the night, probably the rest of your life. And when that happens, you tend to drain my supply of special bourbon like it's water, which I can not let happen again." 

"Why are you encouraging me like this?" Mark sighed. "Do you really want to see me make a fool out of myself that much?"

"No," Johnny laughed. "I like to think of it as a friend helping another friend out." 

"Actually, if you were really my best friend, you would try to talk me out of a situation like this. Not into it, Johnny." 

"If I talked you out of this, that would make me a terrible best friend, Mark." 

.

Mark didn't know how Johnny managed to do it, but now he was standing not more than a feet away from Lee Donghyuck with the intention to ask the pretty omega to a dance. He blamed it on the couple flutes of champagne that Johnny thrusted into his hands before he shoved him, rather ungracefully might he add, over there. Mark also suspected that the last drink that he had wasn't champagne, but definitely something much stronger, if the slightly woozy feeling that was swirling in his brain had anything to do with it. 

With an excessive amount of alcohol running through his veins though, the nerves that he felt from before were gone. Instead, in its place was a newfound sense of confidence that Mark hardly ever felt. Feet already moving towards the golden omega, too fast for his brain to properly stop it, Mark then found himself standing face to face with Donghyuck. 

If Mark thought that Donghyuck was pretty from afar, then seeing him up close left him gasping for air. Mark surely thought that there was no possible way that someone as beautiful as the very omega before him could exist. No matter how much he dug around in his mind to find it, Mark doesn’t think that he had ever encountered anyone like Donghyuck. Donghyuck, who commanded the attention of everyone in presence with a simple look, honeyed eyes dripping with sweetness and warmth. 

As Mark approached him, Donghyuck spun on his heels, turning around to face him almost instantly as if Donghyuck had been expecting him. His heart stuttered in his chest as the wide smile that graced Donghyuck’s lips, showing his pearly white teeth. Mark watched the way he bowed at him, doing a small curtsy as well, before saying, “Oh, Mr. Lee, what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting for?” 

The question of asking Donghyuck to dance the next song with him was on the very tip of his tongue, one that he had been repeating over and over again like a mantra in his head during this walk over here. But the longer that he stared at Donghyuck’s beautiful blushed cheeks and the constellations that danced across them, Mark mind drew a complete blank, the words that he had prepared simply vanished into the thin air. 

If his mind was muddled and clouded over from the effects of the alcohol that he had been knocking back for the entire night, then it was nothing in comparison to the haziness that overcame him the longer that he stared at Donghyuck, growing drunker with each passing second. 

The longer that the silence stretched between them, slowly teetering on the more awkward side than not, Donghyuck began to shift on his feet. At this little movement, Mark couldn’t help but drop his eyes down to the floor, more specifically on the little bit of tan skin that was put on display. 

His mouth moved before he could even stop himself, “Your pants are too short.”

“What?” Donghyuck breathed out, lips parted. 

“It’s not proper for an omega to wear such an attire, especially an unmated one.” Mark continued on, the words flowing from him with little hesitation and he was _mortified_ , extremely so, because those weren’t the words that he had intended to say at all. 

It seemed like it wasn’t what Donghyuck had been expecting either because he was staring back at him like Mark was some lunatic, which he probably was, with all the nonsense that he just sprouted. 

“I understand that you’re an alpha, but I don’t believe that you have any right to comment on what I can and cannot wear, Mr. Lee.” Donghyuck’s words came out like spit fire and disgust lacing his every word. His sweet scent, turning bitter, like burnt charcoal, the longer they stood there. Cheeks turning from their pretty pink hue to a violent red, Donghyuck scoffed, “And to think that you were going to ask me to a dance, how awfully foolish of me. All of you high and mighty alphas are all the same.” 

Mark’s heart stopped. Donghyuck had wanted to dance with him too? Donghyuck, the most beautiful omega he had ever seen, wanted to dance with _him_? There was no way that was true because it wasn’t, at least not anymore, after he had blown his chances like that. 

He wanted to defend himself, or at least come up with a half-assed excuse and apologize but he was frozen. The liquid courage that had been running through his veins was gone and in its place was a cold, numbing fear. His hands were growing so clammy. No matter how much he rubbed it against the material of his pants, it didn’t stop. 

He racked his mind for something, anything to say to Donghyuck, who he had greatly offended, but he couldn’t. His mind was even more blank now than before, if it was even possible. 

When he showed no signs of apologizing, Donghyuck narrowed his eyes on him, expression steely. “If that was all that you had to say, I think I should leave. I would say that it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lee, but I’m afraid that I couldn’t say that it was. I also hope that we’ll never meet again.” 

And then, just like that, Donghyuck spun on his heels and left as fast as he had arrived. 

“Damn, you really suck at this, don’t you?” Johnny commented as he sneaked up beside him. Taking yet another sip of alcohol, he shook his head sadly, “How am I even friends with you?”

Mark moaned, dropping his head into his hands in despair. “I told you it was a bad idea! I was perfectly okay with looking at him from afar and being invisible. Now, he knows who I am and he’s going to hate me for the rest of his life.”

“I don’t know, but my idea was brilliant. You just happen to execute it poorly, very poorly in fact because that was _painful_ to watch.”

“Please do me a favor and kill me. Bury me next to my great uncle for I am a disgrace.”

“I don’t think your late Uncle would want his disgraced nephew to be buried right next to him.” Johnny snorted. When he threw a glare in the direction of his best friend, Johnny shrugged, saying, “What? I am speaking the truth.” 

. 

The next time that he saw Donghyuck was not another ball, or a social gathering of any sorts. No, the next time that Mark saw Donghyuck it was when he appeared on the other side of his manor, dragging mud and rain water onto his doorstep. To say that he was shocked was an understatement.

Donghyuck glowered at him, arms crossed as his chest as his entire body shook as a result of the biting winds that ripped around him. "I'm here to check on my brother. Johnny had written to us saying that Taeyong came down with a fever from the cold journey."

Mark stood there, hand still holding onto the door as his mind tried to play catch up with what was really happening before him. To his left, one of the doormen muttered to him, "Mr. Lee, I think it would be most appropriate to invite Mr. Lee inside... the storm is still raging outside and we wouldn't want another sick omega in our hands..."

"Oh," he gasped, eyes widening as he heard Donghyuck sneeze right before him, cheeks a rosy red. Appalled that he allowed Donghyuck to stand there for so long without inviting him inside, Mark reached out for his hand, tugging him right over the threshold. "I'm sorry. That was very stupid of me."

Shutting the door behind him, Mark ushered for Donghyuck to head straight for the common room, where the fireplace was crackling at full warmth. Not minding the mud and dirt that Donghyuck was painting the floors with, Mark ordered the nearest maid to bring him a blanket and some warm tea.

Before he was even able to get Donghyuck to sit in front of the warm fire, Donghyuck dug his heels into the floor, preventing him from pulling him along any further. "I want to see my brother first. It's the only reason why I came here. I don't need your hospitality."

Mark stared at him, breath caught within his throat. Even with how hard he was shivering and how blue his lips had turned, Donghyuck was only thinking about his brother. He was very much determined to see his brother before anything else. But Mark also had a feeling that Donghyuck simply just didn't want to be within his presence, not that he could blame him, especially after how he had acted at the ball a couple weeks prior.

He nodded his head slowly before catching sight of the maids arriving with an armful of blankets. Immediately taking one off from the stack, he wrapped it tightly around Donghyuck's shivering body. "I'll let you see him after you get warmed up first. I don't want you to get sick too."

"Like you would really care if I fall ill or not?" Donghyuck scoffed, but he accepted the warm blanket regardless, clutching onto it tightly.

Mark frowned. "Of course I care about your well being... what kind of assumption is that?"

Donghyuck stared back at him for a moment, honey eyes piercing through the very depth of his soul as if he was searching for the truth behind his words. They didn't say anything to each other for a while, simply staring back at one another. Mark kind of liked it, because within that moment, he had a chance to be smitten with the fire that was raging within Donghyuck's eyes. One that flickered to a calming flame over time, melting him right on the spot. Donghyuck had such lovely eyes. Mark wanted to stare into them all day long. There was no need for the sun, when he had someone like Donghyuck standing right before, eyes shining so vibrantly.

When Donghyuck didn't say anything back in return, even after the long silence that had stretched over them. Mark figured that it was time for him to say what he had been wanting to say for a very long time now, ever since that fateful night.

Breathing in deeply, Mark tried to get his heart to be calm but when it didn't seem like his heart was going to stop beating so crazily any time soon, he thought to hell with it. It was now or never, plus Donghyuck already hated his guts, there wasn't anything else that he could possibly do that would make Donghyuck hate him even more. Or there could be, but Mark tried not to think about that for too long.

"I know that this is a bit overdue, but I wanted to apologize for what happened between us last time...," he began, dropping his eyes down to the floor once he saw Donghyuck's mouth drop wide open. Mark gnawed down on his lips, trying hard not to scream out loud in frustration. He really should have taken a swig of Johnny's prized whiskey before he opened his mouth to apologize, because he truly did not have the mental willpower to do this right now. Since he already started though, Mark figured that he should just continue on. "I wanted to talk to you about something, but it didn't come out like I had intended it to be..."

Donghyuck stared at him for a second longer, honey eyes holding him completely hostage, before asking, "What? Were you trying to tell me that my ankles were ugly in a nicer way? Because that's a load of bullshit."

There was a series of gasps, both from the maids in the room and the guards lingering by the door. Mark winced as the vulgar word fell from Donghyuck's lips and his heart jumped in his chest at how sinfully beautiful it sounded. Only Donghyuck could make a curse word sound so mesmerizing.

"No, I didn't mean it like that... or any version of that." Mark mumbled, eyes still trained on the floor, more specially at the puddle that was slowly growing around Donghyuck's feet. "I mean, while it was true that your pants were a little short to be appropriate, it didn't matter. I didn't really care." That was a total lie because Mark definitely cared about the sliver of tanned skin that he saw because it just about gave him a heart attack, but Donghyuck didn't need to know that. "What I had wanted to talk to you about that night was if you would dance a song with me."

When he mustered up enough courage to look up at Donghyuck, Mark was greeted with the sight of his honey eyes blown wide, lips parting along with them. Donghyuck blinked once, then twice, a pretty blush dusting his cheeks, all before he yanked the blanket he had around his shoulder and chucked it in his face.

"I'm all warmed up now. I'm going to visit my brother, where is he?" Donghyuck's voice had risen a couple octaves above normal but Mark was too taken aback to comment on it.

Removing the blanket that was flung at him, he bunched it up in his arms, clearing his vision once more as he stared at Donghyuck strangely. Unlike before, this time it was Donghyuck who couldn't meet his eyes. "Taeyong's up in one of the guest rooms, I can take you there if you would like or one of the maids can lead you there instead..."

"I'll follow the maid!" Donghyuck blurted out, still not making eye contact with him. Instead he turned his attention to one of the maids in the room before tugging on her arms, asking her, almost pleading her to take him to his older brother.

. 

Mark barely slept a wink that night, his mind too preoccupied with the omega that was sleeping in the guest bedroom not more than a couple feet down from his own bedroom. Each time that he would try to shut his eyes and go to sleep, images of Donghyuck’s warm eyes and equally warm smile took over his mind. He couldn’t clear the omega from his head, no matter how hard he tried. And before he knew it, the sun had risen up in the sky to relieve the moon from its night long position. 

He lingered around in bed for a couple more minutes, staring at the way that the morning sun was slowly filtering light into his room, lightening it up. He attempted to fall asleep once more, but it was futile. And when he heard the sound of the omega brothers waking up, whispering to each other rather heatedly, he decided that it was about time he got up. 

When he opened the door, Mark was met with the sight of one of the maids, head bowed as she greeted him, “Mr. Lee, the morning breakfast is almost done, would you like me to prepare you a warm bath before you eat?” 

“Have you told our guests about breakfast yet?” He asked instead. 

She shook her head. “I have not. I was going to head over to their rooms after I visited you first.” 

“That’s okay. I’ll go and let them know myself.” Mark told her as he left the room. “And I would very much appreciate that warm bath, thank you.” 

Leaving the maid in charge of drawing his bath for him, Mark began to make it his way down the hall, feet shuffling against the wooden floors. The closer that he got to their doors, the louder the voices behind the doors got. He took notice of how they tried to be quiet with their talking, but it seemed that whatever they were talking were putting the both of them on edge, because as he stood before their door, he listened to the way that they were almost shouting and their increasingly bitter scents reaching his nose. 

His heart was up in his throat and his hands were already so clammy, it was awful. But taking in a deep breath, Mark tried to wipe off his sweaty hands on his sleeping blouse before knocking on the door. The moment that his knuckles came in contact with the door, the heated discussion that was happening behind the closed door ceased almost instantly. 

Then Donghyuck’s voice rang out, “Yes?” 

Swiping his tongue across his chapped lips, a poor attempt at moistening them, he cleared his throat once before saying, “Breakfast is almost ready and I wanted to invite you two downstairs to eat. If you would like to take a bath before then, please do not hesitate to let the maids in the halls know.” 

His words were met with a moment of pure silence, making his heart hammer fiercely against his ribcage. He was quite sure that if Donghyuck hadn’t decided to say something soon then he was going to faint. Mark held his breath the entire time that it took for Donghyuck to reply, to which seemed like an eternity. 

“Thank you, Mr. Lee. I’ll ask the maids to draw us a bath first before joining you for breakfast.” 

All of the air practically swooshed out of his lungs as he heard Donghyuck’s answer, and Mark was barely able to keep himself from falling right over. Bracing himself against the frame of the door, he placed a shaking hand to his chest, smiling foolishly at the ceiling. He was pleasantly surprised and quite proud of himself for handling that so well. 

Ever since the ball, Mark was scared to open his mouth to say anything, fearing that he would seriously fuck something up again. His great aunt had called him a disgrace of an alpha, but Mark truly was fearful of the weight that his words could hold. With the way that Donghyuck reacted to his words from the ball, his heart clenched tightly in his heart, wanting to never see such a look ever again, especially not when it was gracing Donghyuck’s face. 

Taking in another breath, he nodded to no one but himself, saying, “I’ll let the maids know then. Please take your time. I’ll see you two in the dining room soon.” 

. 

Breakfast was a quiet ordeal, that was if he ignored all the coddling and cooing that Johnny was doing on the other end of the table with Taeyong. From what he had heard, courtesy of Johnny talking his ear off on the daily about it, Taeyong had accepted his first courting gift. It was rather sweet how doting Johnny with his soon to be omega mate, but Mark could only take so much _sweetness_ for breakfast. He couldn’t possibly imagine how _anyone_ could be that comfortable with putting on such a display of affection in a setting where everyone could see it. Mark truly didn’t have any qualms about it, he simply preferred it in a more personal and private setting. 

When he saw Johnny attempting to spoon feed Taeyong some soup out of the corner of his eye, Mark turned his head and made sure to focus on the bread basket in front of him instead. As he did so, he saw that the basket was nearly empty. Brows knitting together, he looked down at his plate, his bread roll was still half-eaten, and he had only grabbed one so far. So where did the other ones go? He was sure that the basket had been filled to the brim when it was set down onto the table by one of the maids. There had to have been at least a dozen rolls in it. 

But when he caught sight of honey skin, a hand reaching out to snag the last bread roll from the basket, Mark found his answer. To his side, Donghyuck happily spread a generous amount of butter onto the roll before he all but shoved the entire piece in his mouth, making his cheeks puff out into a rather adorable manner. 

Mark had to bite the insides of his cheeks in order to stop himself from laughing and possibly cooing at how cute Donghyuck was being. What he found adorable and cute would have probably sent his great aunt into a fainting spell had she had been there with them. He could only hope that she wouldn’t cause too much trouble when she would arrive later on that day. Instead of worrying too much about it, Mark pushed that issue to the back of his mind and looked at the way that Donghyuck was glaring at the empty bread basket. It was as if he stared at it long and hard enough that more bread rolls would pop up out of thin air. 

With a shake of his head, he beckoned one of the maids close by and whispered to her to bring another bread basket, or possibly two. At the rate that Donghyuck had gone through with the first basket, Mark was sure that he was going to devour the second basket with just as much vigor. And he wasn’t wrong when the maid placed the first basket right in front of Donghyuck. Before the basket even touched the table, Donghyuck was already reaching out for a fresh, warm bread roll. 

This time around, Mark didn’t even bother to hide the smile that tugged at his lips. When Donghyuck was already on his second bread roll, he began to slowly push his bread basket a little closer to Donghyuck. 

.

“Do you know how to play the piano, dear?” 

Mark winced at the question, eyeing the omega next to him worriedly. His great aunt had arrived and it was barely an hour into her visit and Mark could already tell how disastrous this meeting was going to be, especially when there were four omegas in his house, three too many if anyone would have asked him. 

When his great aunt had suddenly written to him, saying that she would be visiting in the next couple of days while she was in town for business, he should have known that she had ulterior motives for visiting. She had brought along yet again another rich, unmated omega with her, whose name that Mark couldn’t be bother to remember. 

The said rich omega nodded her head, her ringlet of curls bouncing as she did so. “Of course, I do, ma’am. My parents made me learn how to play ever since I was two.” 

“Oh, you must play beautifully then,” his great aunt gasped, clapping her hands together in a pleased manner. 

“Probably not as well as Mark does though.” The omega mumbled back, sounding embarrassed. 

He felt a twinge of annoyance rush through his body at how she had called him. He didn’t like the way his name rolled off her tongue. She was not worthy enough to address him so informally, he didn’t even know her for God’s sake. 

“And you, _dear,_ do you know how to play the piano?” This time the question was directed towards Donghyuck, just like he had expected. 

Mark knew exactly what his great aunt was trying to do. She wanted to brag about how Donghyuck was no match to be his omega and how he wasn’t fit to be his omega. His great aunt really didn’t need to play her cards like this because he was sure that the last thing on Donghyuck’s mind was trying to become Mark’s omega. Despite what had happened the night before and the morning of, Mark knew for a fact that Donghyuck still hated him, maybe a little less than he once did, but Donghyuck still hated him nevertheless. 

“Yes ma’am, I do know how to play, not as good as everyone else here though.” Donghyuck answered. “I don’t like playing as much as I do with singing.” 

“You sing?” Mark blurted out, unable to help himself. 

He tried to ignore all the stares that he got with his sudden outburst. He honestly wasn’t so sure why he was surprised by it. Just from the way that Donghyuck talked, he sounded so lovely, so from that alone, he must of had a beautiful voice. 

“I do…,” Donghyuck nodded, a little hesitant with his answer. 

From across the room from where he was sitting on the love seat with Johnny, Taeyong said, “Donghyuck is the best singer in our house. His voice is as sweet as honey. It’s enchanting.” 

Mark heard his great aunt mumble something under her breath, surely a degrading comment about Donghyuck, but he brushed it to the side. Eying the omega that was slowly shrinking in on himself as if he was trying to make himself disappear into the seat that he sat on, Mark asked, “Will you sing for me?” 

Donghyuck whipped his head up, eyes wide and cheeks colored. “What?” 

“I want to hear your voice. Can you sing for us to hear?” Mark repeated himself. 

“Oh, don’t push him, Mark.” His great aunt edged in. “Don’t make him embarrass himself like that, dear.” 

“I’ll accompany you on the piano, if that’s alright?” Mark refused to let his aunt take control of the conversation and to hold so much power over him as well as his guests. The last time he checked, this was his house, not hers. 

Donghyuck eyed him, honey eyes locked on him as his request sank in. It was silent within the common room, as everyone waited for Donghyuck to come to a decision. He caught the way a little frown etched itself onto Donghyuck’s lips and he had half the mind to take his request back until Donghyuck flickered his gaze over to his great aunt, eyes burning bright. Donghyuck glowered at her, a clear look of distaste on his face, but Mark also saw something else underneath it all. A new side to the omega that he had never seen before, something fiercely competitive and dare he say, protective? 

But that thought disappeared completely when Donghyuck spoke, “I think that the only person that’s going to be embarrassingly himself around here is your _dearest nephew_ , ma’am. From what I’ve gathered from the maids, they’ve told me that he played the piano as well as a dancer with two left feet.” 

Everyone sucked in a breath at his words, his great aunt and the omega that she had brought along looked absolutely mortified. Too bad that Mark didn’t feel the same sentiment as everyone else in the room, because he allowed a laugh to slip past his lips, one that became loud and full of mirth. 

Holding an open palm out for Donghyuck to take a hold of, he smiled, “I’ll try to play to the best of my ability so that it won’t put your beautiful voice to shame.” 

He couldn’t help himself to snort another laugh with the way that Donghyuck’s mouth dropped to the floor. Seeing that Donghyuck wasn’t going to accept his invitation anytime soon, he reached out for his hand instead, taking his warm hand within his own. Giving it a gentle squeeze, he led him towards the piano near the center of the room. 

It was only when he finally sat down at the piano bench and slowly slipped his hand away that he felt the minuscule squeeze of Donghyuck’s hand, right before the warmth disappeared completely. 

Speechless, he stared up at Donghyuck, who was now avoiding his gaze at all cost, a blush dusting his cheeks as he mumbled a quiet, “Thank you.” 

_God,_ he was _so_ in love. 

. 

The next time that Mark saw Donghyuck, it was at a ball that Johnny had decided to host last minute. With how badly that first ball had gone when he had met Donghyuck, Mark figured that he would have been extremely nervous and antsy about attending another ball like this. But surprisingly, he wasn’t and for once in his life, Mark was actually looking forward to it. 

Feeling at ease and holding a glass of wine in one hand, Mark mindlessly picked at his golden cufflinks, eyes searching for the arrival of a particular omega. 

Besides him, Johnny gave him a little nudge with his elbow. “Well isn’t someone a little happy for this ball. Is the Mark Lee enjoying himself for once? I think the world is reaching its end if he is.” 

Rolling his eyes, Mark threw his best friend a pointed look before taking a sip of his wine. “Oh, shut up, Johnny.” 

“I don’t think I will.” Johnny smiled before clinking the top of their glasses together. “I need to mark this day down in the book as the day that Mark Lee decided to let loose and have some fun. And possibly snag a mate in the process.” 

“I think it’s too early to even think about that…,” Mark replied, sipping at his wine again, letting the familiar burn of alcohol in the back of his throat distract his mind. 

“It’s never too early to think about it.” Johnny shrugged. “Especially when it's a greater possibility than you think.”

“What makes you say that?’ He asked, confused. 

“Well, why don’t you see it for yourself,” Johnny said, pointing at something in front of him with a small smile. 

Confusion still buzzing through his veins, Mark followed the direction that Johnny had pointed in and when he finally found out what Johnny had been pointing out, Mark felt all of the air get knocked out from his lungs, his knees growing weak at the sight that he saw. 

There across the banquet room was none other than Donghyuck, looking ethereal and every inch of a beautiful omega that he was. If he hadn’t known Donghyuck’s personality any better, he would have called him an angel, because he looked exactly like one with the way he was dressed head to toe in white. It filled his heart with pride to see that Donghyuck had accepted his gift and wore it with so much grace. When he had saw the white velvet in one of the fabric stalls in town, he couldn’t stop himself from imagining how stunning it would have looked in contrast to Donghyuck’s honeyed skin. And he wasn’t wrong, because Donghyuck looked amazing. He pulled off the white velvet suit much better than he could have done. 

Dropping his eyes down to the sliver of glowing skin that was put on display, Mark couldn’t stop himself from smiling at it. A little bit of ankle wouldn’t hurt no one, right? 

Johnny let out a low whistle when he his eyes caught sight of it too, “Oh, wow, when did you stop being a prude, Mr. Lee?” 

The answer to that? When he met Lee Donghyuck. 

Ignoring his best friend’s comment in favor of crossing the room to reach where Donghyuck was, he smiled even wider when he saw the amount of stares that they had garnered, something that had greatly increased with Donghyuck’s arrival. A pair of matching white suits, it was certainly a bold statement and he could only hope that Donghyuck had caught onto the underlying message.

“You look lovely tonight, Donghyuck.” Mark smiled at the omega before daringly reaching for his hand and placing a soft kiss on top of his knuckles. He could only smile wider at the shy smile that Donghyuck answered him with. 

“It’s all thanks to you.” Donghyuck blushed. 

“Nonsense. I only gave you a suit, nothing else. You are beautiful all on your own.” 

“That’s what Taeyong said too before we came over here.” 

“And your brother is correct.” Mark hummed. With Donghyuck’s hand still in his own, he gave it a gentle squeeze, before asking, “May I have a dance with you?” 

“Yes. You may have this dance with me. As well as the next one and then the one after that.” Donghyuck replied, smiling brighter than the stars in the night sky. 

Placing his empty wine glass on the platter of a passing waiter, he slipped his hand around Donghyuck’s waist, pulling him close, so close that he could see the golden flecks within Donghyuck’s eyes. “Good, because I want to show you off to everyone here, to show them how beautiful _you_ are.” 

.

As Donghyuck had promised him, they continued to dance all through the night, one song after another. 

It was lovely. 

Mark had always hated ballroom dancing, but with Donghyuck, it was perfect. They moved in complete sync with one another, their steps moved with ease, gliding across the floor, never a beat away from each other. 

But Mark should have known that nothing as perfect as this could have lasted forever. He was correct to assume so when an all too familiar person popped out in the corner of his eye, heading towards them. As he made eye contact with the newcomer, Mark froze.

“Mark?” Donghyuck called out to him, slightly taken aback by his sudden mood change. 

When he didn’t answer back fast enough, Donghyuck slowly turned in his arms to look. He tried to prevent Donghyuck from seeing who it was but it was pointless, especially when a smile came to Donghyuck’s face as the omega called out, “Oh, Kunhang, you made it!”

He was speechless. 

Donghyuck tugged the other alpha close, too close for his liking if he was being honest. “Mark, you’ve met Kunhang before right? Kunhang said that you two studied in London together.”

“Yes,” Mark nodded stiffly, body feeling numb, “we’ve met before, unfortunately.” 

Donghyuck must have thought he was joking, because he clasped his hand onto Kunhang even tighter, throwing his head back and laughed. “Oh, Mark, don’t be so mean to your friend.” 

“He’s not my friend,” Mark retorted icily, eyes narrowing on the smile that Kunhang had plastered on his face. “Wong Kunhang is no friend of mine. Not in this lifetime or the next.”

He watched the way Donghyuck looked between them in confusion. Brows knitted together, not quite understanding why he was so upset when Kunhang was all smiles about it. “But… Kunhang said that you were on the same fencing team in London… he said that you were close…” 

“Yes, we _were_ close, as in past tense. Not anymore though, thank God.” Mark grumbled. 

“Mark!” Donghyuck hissed, cheeks a vibrant red, clearly embarrassed by what he said. “Even if you guys had a fall out, there’s no need to be so rude! Kunhang is a nice man, I’m sure it was nothing but a slight misunderstanding.” 

“Oh, a _misunderstanding?_ ” Mark snorted. Raising an eyebrow at the man, he asked, “Is that what he told you now?” 

“Yes!” Donghyuck bit back. “And from the looks of it, Kunhang was right and you were in the wrong. Something that you’ve failed to apologize for considering how you’re acting right now.” 

“You don’t even know half the story, Donghyuck. What makes you think that you can make a clear judgement on who was right when you’ve only heard one side of the story?” Mark sighed. He needed more alcohol to have this kind of conversation with Donghyuck right now. Seriously, where was Johnny with his abundant of alcohol when he needed him. “He probably didn’t even tell you the whole story or if he did, he lied for most of it.” 

“Mark!” Donghyuck shouted again, anger seeping into his name, his scent souring. “You have no right to call him a liar, when you lied too.” 

“I did not lie,” Mark growled. “I’ve spoken nothing but the truth.” 

“Like failing to disclose the full truth isn’t a way of lying.” Donghyuck rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest defensively. Behind him, the smile on Kunhang’s face only widened and that was when he knew that he was fighting a losing battle. 

Mark thought that Donghyuck would have picked his side, or at least heard his side of the story before coming to the same conclusion as everyone else did. He thought that he knew Donghyuck better than that, but he guessed he was wrong in that too. 

Taking in a shuddering breath, he said as calmly as he could, “I only withheld the truth because I didn’t want to completely destroy _his_ life, because like you said, _he_ was once a friend, a very close one. But I refuse to acknowledge him as anyone more than the low life bastard that he is. He got what he deserved for what he had done. And I’m sorry to have disappointed you, Donghyuck, but I won’t let you change my mind about this.” 

Stepping back, he gave Donghyuck one last final bow. “It was a pleasure to have met you Lee Donghyuck, but I think it’s time that we part.”

.

He hadn’t spoken to Donghyuck in weeks, or had it been months? Mark wasn’t sure, he lost track of how much time had passed since a while ago. He may have forgotten about time but he hadn’t forgotten about how empty it felt to not have Donghyuck at his side like he once did. Sure, they only met a few times a month, most of them being at all the balls that the town seemed to love to host on the daily, but it was still something. 

Ever since that night, Mark hadn’t caught sight of Donghyuck at any of the balls that he attended. He didn’t even catch sight of Donghyuck in passing in town. It was as if the omega had vanished off the face of the Earth. But Mark knew that it wasn’t true, because Johnny, like the amazing best friend he was, had been keeping him up to date with anything and everything he knew about Donghyuck, which he also had Taeyong to thank for. 

Mindlessly walking down the semi-busy path of the marketplace, he shoved his hands deep inside the pocket of his long coat. Angry at no one in particular but himself, Mark thought back to what he and Johnny had spoken of last time they met. 

Word around town that Donghyuck was currently seeing another alpha, an alpha who went by the name of Wong Kunhang, a name that he was not pleased to hear, at all. Kunhang was the very reason why he and Donghyuck were the way that they were like this in the first place. Mark only hoped that Kunhang would slip out of his facade and show his true face soon enough for Donghyuck to distance himself from the alpha, because Kunhang was bad news. 

Both Johnny and Taeyong had promised him that they would try to talk to Donghyuck about it, but he knew that it wouldn’t help much. Just simply knowing that Johnny and Taeyong were both on his side in this situation pushed Donghyuck to not believe a single word that they were telling him. And Donghyuck was the most stubborn person he had come to know. Once Donghyuck was set onto something, it was quite hard to tell him otherwise. 

To be honest, if Donghyuck found happiness in Kunhang then that was that. Mark wasn’t anyone to step in the way of Donghyuck’s happiness, even if he knew for a fact that he was doing Donghyuck a great favor with trying to prevent him from getting tangled up in the mess that always came with Kunhang. An omega like Donghyuck surely deserved someone better than him anyways. Mark may have had a great fortune to his name but that was about all that he really had. All that he wanted was for Donghyuck to not get hurt, which was something that Kunhang was fully capable of doing. 

Heaving a long sigh, Mark began to head out from the marketplace and walked towards the direction of his home instead. The sky was already starting to darken, the sun dipping in the horizon a while ago, painting the skies a combination of blues and purples. As the autumn breeze picked up around him, Mark tugged his coat closer around his body. With the way that the winds were biting at his nose and the temperature dropping as it got darker, winter was near. When another breeze rippled past him, Mark stilled as a certain scent reached his nose, a swirl of something sweet yet bitter. 

At first the scent was faint, barely noticeable in the air until it was ridiculously pungent. Raising a hand up to cover his nose from the overpowering scent, Mark began to hurried along, urging his feet to move faster so that he could get away from the smell. But that didn’t last long, especially when an all too familiar voice called out to him, “Mark!” 

He froze mid-step as he heard his name echoing in the night, a voice that was usually so bright and sweet, filled to the brim with bone-chilling fear. When that voice called out to him again, he spun on his heels, trying to catch where the voice was coming from. Mark didn’t have to look far though because the answer he was looking for came all but barreling into his arms. 

Mark thanked his lucky stars that he had quick reflexes or else Donghyuck’s actions would have landed the both of them flat on their asses. Clutching the trembling omega to his chest, arms wrapping themselves tightly around Donghyuck’s body, he sputtered, “Donghyuck?” 

At the sound of his name, Donghyuck held onto him even tighter, burying his face into the nape of his neck, dangerously close to his scent glands. It was only then that he took notice of Donghyuck’s scent. Donghyuck’s scent was always sweet and warm, smelling like freshly picked cherries. Except this time around, there was a lingering vanilla scent around the edges, almost burnt. Then with how warm Donghyuck’s skin was pressed against his own, Mark only needed to put one and one together to figure out that Donghyuck was in preheat. Donghyuck was also in distress too, whether it was from his preheat settling in or something else entirely, Mark had yet to find out. 

Trying to pry Donghyuck away from his neck, he called out for the omega, “Donghyuck? What’s wrong?” 

With a fierce shake of his head, Donghyuck refused to leave the junction between his neck and shoulder. He simply held on, nails digging almost painfully into his arms to resist his move to put some space between them. The more bitter that Donghyuck’s scent, filling his senses until he was lightheaded with it, Mark decided that there wasn’t any harm that could be done with Donghyuck hiding out in his arms like this. As gently as he could, he shrugged his coat off and draped it over Donghyuck’s body, hoping that the warmth and his own scent could provide him some comfort. 

“You were right, _so_ right.” Donghyuck sobbed. “I should have listened to you. I should have listened to Johnny and Taeyong when they warned me too.” 

“What?” Mark gasped. “Wrong about what?”

Before he could say anything else, a series of shouts and hollers reached his ears, increasing in volume as a set of alphas came bursting through the crowd. “He’s here. I can smell him.” 

Mark frowned at their words. _Him?_ Peering down at Donghyuck, he felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. They weren’t talking about Donghyuck, were they?

When the alphas skidded to a stop right in front of them, eying Donghyuck with crazed eyes, Mark felt a surge of anger in his body, burning fire through his veins. And the fire only intensified when he caught sight of Kunhang staring right back at him. 

He should have known that old habits died hard. 

Mark was furious. 

He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the strong scents that the alphas were giving off and it seemed like Donghyuck didn’t like it either, judging from the way he nosed at Mark’s scent gland, eyes squeezed tightly shut. 

Running a comforting hand down Donghyuck’s back, he released his pheromones into the air, letting the scent of pine and spearmint to coat them all. He relished the way Kunhang and his lackeys inched back, face twisting as the scent hit them. 

“I thought I told you to lay low, Wong. You have a lot of nerve to show your face around here again.” Mark growled. It took almost all of his willpower to not attack the other alpha right then and there. “I’m pretty sure that I made myself clear last time that if I ever saw your face again, what I would do to you.” 

“Yet, I’m still and you haven’t done anything to me like you promised you would.” Kunhang bit back haughtily. “But then again, you kind of have your hands full at the moment don’t you? Looks like your precious omega is about to go into heat. I don’t think it’s a good idea to have him smelling like that out in the open. It wouldn’t be a good idea to draw more alphas to him.”

Mark swore that he saw red. “Shut the fuck up Kunhang. And don’t act like you’re so innocent. You’re not a hero.” 

Raising his hands up in defense, Kunhang made a show of taking a big step back, alway from them. “I think you’re overthinking it far too much, like usual, Mark. I’m just trying to look after the well-being of a friend’s omega, that’s all.” 

Maybe it was the mere fact that Kunhang was not so subtly attacking Donghyuck that Mark had the strong urge to rip the smirking alpha to shreds. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of a marketplace, he wanted to wipe that smirk off of Kunhang’s face so badly. Baring his teeth at the alpha, Mark was fully set on doing just that, until Donghyuck clung onto him, whimpering in his arms, shaking his head.

“Please, Mark, don’t let him get to you,” he whispered. “He’s just trying to egg you on.” 

Right. Donghyuck was right. 

If he caved and swung at Kunhang, Mark was just letting Kunhang get the better of him, like all the times before. This time, he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t _afford_ to do that. He had Donghyuck to worry about, to care for. Time was a delicate thing with Donghyuck right now. For every second that they continued to stay out in the open like this, the closer that Donghyuck was getting to his heat. And they definitely didn’t need Donghyuck to go in full heat in the middle of the street. 

Pressing Donghyuck’s body closer to his own, Mark leveled Kunhang out with the coldest glare he could muster. “You’re so fucking lucky, Wong Kunhang. You have no idea. But I swear to God, if I see your face one more time in this lifetime, I promise you that I will not hold back, no matter the circumstances.” 

  
  


.

Mark didn’t think that he had ever walked back to the manor so fast before in his life. 

They barely made a couple of steps out of the market before Donghyuck’s knees gave out from underneath him as his body grew even hotter, his skin dripping with sweat. With no other choice, Mark carried him all the way back. Then by the time that they had made it to the steps of his place, Donghyuck was already filtering in and out of consciousness, mumbling incoherent words here and there. 

The guards posted at the door couldn’t have opened the doors fast enough for them to enter in. 

“Bring a few extra sets of blankets and linens to the west guest room,” he ordered the nearest maid. Rushing up the stairs to the second floor, he added, “Dinner can be delivered to the room. There’s no need to set the table for tonight.” 

Not bothering to make sure that they had heard his commands or not, Mark continued his trek to the guest bedroom, specifically the one that Donghyuck had slept in the last time he was here. Shutting the door behind with the back of his foot, he carefully made his way over to the bed in the center of the room. 

As he pushed back the covers, preparing to set Donghyuck down on the mattress, Donghyuck let out a shout of protest, clinging to his frame. “No! Please, no.” 

Mark quickly shushed him, kissing him tenderly on the cheeks. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m just setting you down. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” 

“No,” Donghyuck shook his head, curling up into his body when he tried to set him down again. “I need you close.” 

Without much of a choice, he allowed Donghyuck to pull him down with him as they laid on the bed. Even with Mark practically laying on top of him, Donghyuck wasn’t satisfied enough with the contact. 

“I need more,” Donghyuck huffed out as he began to paw away at the collar of his shirt. 

Taking a hold of Donghyuck’s hands within his own, Mark leaned forward to press their foreheads together. Eyes shutting tight so that he could get a grip on himself, he breathed out, “Donghyuck… stop.” But Donghyuck didn’t stop. He continued to squirm and wiggle underneath his hold. “Donghyuck, listen to me, _please._ ” 

At his pleading, Donghyuck stilled. When he opened his eyes, Mark found that the honey eyes staring back at him weren’t as cloudy or hazy as they once were. Sighing a breath of relief, he held Donghyuck’s face in between his palms, internally wincing at how hot they were. Donghyuck’s heat was going to hit any second now, so he needed to be quick about what he wanted to say next. 

“Donghyuck?” 

“Yes?” 

Removing one of his hands to card it through Donghyuck’s sweaty locks, he said softly, “You’re going to go into heat soon.” 

Donghyuck nodded, cheeks growing more flush than ever, whether it was from his actual heat or out of embarrassment, Mark couldn’t be too sure. 

“I don’t know if you’ve spent your heat with another alpha before or not…” 

“I haven’t.” 

“Okay…,” Mark sighed. Of course Donghyuck haven’t spent his heat with another alpha before. Donghyuck was still an unmated omega for crying out loud. Unmated omegas that did spend their heats with random alphas were looked down upon. But knowing that fact didn’t make this conversation all that more easier. 

“We need to set some boundaries then,” Mark continued on. “I’m not going to do anything that you don’t want me to do, you know and understand right, Donghyuck?” 

Donghyuck nodded his head slowly, movements a little sluggish as the haziness within his eyes began to return. 

“That also means that I’m not going to do everything that you want me to do…,” Mark added. “I know you’re going to be heat and your body is going to demand it, but I’m not going to… knot you. I—.” 

Before he could even finish his sentence, Donghyuck countered, shaking his head, a frown etched onto his lips. “What? No, Mark I _need_ you to knot me. That’s the only way it’ll pass, you _know this._ ” 

“I know, I know.” Mark sighed. Licking his lips, he continued to explain himself before Donghyuck cutted him off. “But I can’t do it knowing that we’re not mated, Donghyuck. I can’t taint you like that nor do I want your first time to be spent through the haze of a heat. I want your first time to be special, whether it’s with me or not.” 

“Then mate with me.” Donghyuck answered, voice unwavering. “Make me your omega so that you can knot me.” 

Mark stared down at him in shock. He felt like someone had just bumped a bucket of cold water over his head. Mouth agape, he couldn’t believe what he just heard. There was no way Donghyuck suggested that, no fucking way. 

“No. Absolutely not. Especially not like this.” 

“Why not? What difference does it make if you mate with me now compared to later? I’ll still be your omega and you’ll be my alpha.” Donghyuck explained as if it was the most simplest thing in the entire world. But that was where Donghyuck was wrong. It wasn’t that simple. 

In any other situation, Mark would have been over the moon to hear that Donghyuck wanted him to be his alpha. He tried to push away the pride that bloomed in chest at the way Donghyuck called him. His alpha was practically preening from Donghyuck’s words. Mark was fully ready to be Donghyuck’s alpha since the moment that he had laid eyes on him. But Donghyuck, as his omega? He wasn’t so sure that Donghyuck was ready for that, or even wanted to be that. Before this moment, they haven’t even spoken. There was no way the Donghyuck in his right mind would have wanted him to be his alpha. 

“No. Your judgement is too clouded right now, Donghyuck.” Mark told him, lifting himself up from the bed. “You don’t want that.” 

“Yes, I do, Mark! Who are you to tell me what I want and what I don’t want?” Donghyuck cried, hands scrambling to pull Mark’s body back down to his own, face tugging into a grimace at the space between them. 

Berating himself for even thinking of moving in the first place, especially when Donghyuck was practically in heat and needed an alpha’s touch to soothe away his pain, Mark all but rushed back into Donghyuck’s arms, holding him close. Then pressing a kiss to his temple, he whispered, “If you want to be my omega after all of this, then I would be honored to be your alpha.” 

.

Donghyuck’s heat came a couple hours later. 

Mark woke up to the sound of Donghyuck’s pained pants and the bed feeling a thousand degrees hotter than normal. Turning over to his side, Mark propped himself up against the headboard, reaching over for the water bin that was placed next to their bed. Wringing the excessive water out from the towel, he placed it on Donghyuck’s forehead, taking away the warm one that was there previously. 

Just as he pulled away, Donghyuck’s hand shot up to hold him in place. “Mark… it hurts…” 

Heart clenching, he gently wiped away at the sweat on Donghyuck’s face. Moving his hand until their fingers were interlocked with one another, he whispered, “I know, Donghyuck. I know it hurts. I’m sorry that there’s not much else that I can do right now.” 

Donghyuck took a few labored breaths before he opened his eyes. Even in the darkness, Mark could still see the way his eyes glowed. Gripping onto their interlocked hand, he asked breathily, “Please _touch_ me. _I need you.”_

Mark hated the way his heart stuttered in his chest as Donghyuck uttered those words. But he hated the way his blood all but rushed south even more at the clear message that it displayed. He hated it. He hated that his body was responding to it all like that. He needed to be the clear headed one between the two of them. Donghyuck barely did anything and he was already losing his goddamn mind. 

“Please touch me, Mark.” Donghyuck continued to beg. “You promised me that you would do anything I wanted, right? You said you would.” 

Donghyuck wasn't remembering their conversation clearly. He never promised that he would do anything that Donghyuck wanted. But that didn't meant that he didn't already promise to himself that he would do anything for the omega, anything aside from putting a knot inside of him. 

Seeing that Mark’s resolve was slowly breaking at the seams, Donghyuck tugged his hands off his chest and moved them lower, then lower, until they came to rest in between his thighs, where the fabric of his pants had already grown damp with his slick. “Touch me, Mark. I’m _wet._ ” 

Unable to hold himself up any longer, Mark dropped his head down into the crevice of Donghyuck’s neck, which was probably a bad idea because soon, all that he could smell was freshly picked cherries and warm vanilla, arousal heavy within them. And it was all that he needed before his dick was throbbing. 

“ _Fuck_.” He mumbled into the column of Donghyuck’s neck, pressing a light kiss there, earning him a soft, open-mouthed moan from the omega. “Donghyuck, you can’t just say things like that.” 

Even in his heat, Donghyuck was fierce. “Well, I wouldn’t need to say anything if you would just fucking touch me already.” 

“You’re insufferable, you know that?” Mark whispered against his lips as he untangled his fingers from Donghyuck’s to slip it past the waistline of his pants. 

“Mark,” Donghyuck moaned, buckling his hips upward as Mark pushed his hand further down his pants. “Just _please touch_ me—.” 

Mark probably should have eased his way into it, but Donghyuck was already driving him mad, so he all but plunged a single finger in, until he was to the knuckle deep. The action sent Donghyuck mewling in his arms, lips parted in pure pleasure as he tried to push himself down onto the single digit. 

Mark groaned at the way Donghyuck clenched around his finger, slick already dripping down his hand. Wasting not another second, he began to pump his finger in out of Donghyuck, being mindful this time around not to be too harsh. With his other hand, he began to tug Donghyuck’s pants down to his ankles, before pulling them off completely. Once they were off, he urged Donghyuck to spread his legs for him until he could settle in between them and pushing another finger inside of him. 

“Oh, yes, _please_.” Donghyuck threw his head back, gripped at his arms, nails creating crescent marks. “Just like that, oh my God.” 

He continued to scissor Donghyuck open, slow and steady, watching the way Donghyuck fell apart with his fingers alone. When he added a third finger, Mark tried to go as deep as he could, the pads of fingers searching for that sweet spot, one that he knew would unravel Donghyuck completely. He wanted to see it so badly, to see how Donghyuck would look once he tipped him over the edge. 

“Mark… I knew more,” Donghyuck begged as he began to ground down on his fingers, pushing them in deeper. “ _More._ ”

“I know, baby.” Mark kissed him on the lips. “But we can’t.” 

Donghyuck his head, tears almost gathering at the corner of his eyes. “Yes, we can.” 

“No. I’m not knotting you, Donghyuck. I told you this already.” 

“You don’t have to knot me.” Donghyuck almost shouted when his fingers began to graze against his prostate, sending a shiver through his entire body at the touch. Seeing this, Mark continued to aim his fingers at that spot. “ _Please,_ just let me have it. It doesn’t have to be inside of me, Mark.” 

At Donghyuck’s cries, Mark couldn’t have possibly said no. Not to mention, his dick was aching to be touched too. The small friction that he allowed himself to have with rutting against Donghyuck’s thigh as he worked the omega open wasn’t enough. 

Slowly his fingers down, much to Donghyuck’s great displeasure he closed his eyes and placed his forehead against Donghyuck’s, groaning. “ _Fine._ You can have it, but I am not knotting you.” 

Donghyuck nodded his head rapidly and before he could even gather his thoughts or take back his word, Donghyuck slipped off his fingers and began undressing the both of them until they were naked. 

Instead of laying back down on the bed like he had before, Donghyuck stood up, nearly falling as he did so. 

“Hey, baby, careful.” Mark rushed out to catch him, holding him close. 

When he tried to move them back to the bed, Donghyuck shook his head and braced himself against the edge of the bed, his back facing Mark. “No, I want it like this.” 

Not having a single clue at what Donghyuck was trying to do, Mark grasped as his elbow. “What do you mean?” 

“Like this, Mark.” Donghyuck groaned, reaching behind him to pull Mark flush against his back side, his ass grinding back on his dick. 

Now it was Mark’s turn to groan at the wave of pleasure that shot through his body, deep into his bones. He allowed himself to slip into the heat between Donghyuck’s thighs and for Donghyuck to wrap his own fingers around Donghyuck’s aching dick, already leaking with precum. 

Another groan slipped out of him when Donghyuck clenched his thighs closer together, trapping his dick in between them and squeezing it. The action also made the head of his dick brush against Donghyuck’s soaking wetness. And it took everything within him to not plunge himself into that wetness. Instead he focused on the way that Donghyuck’s thighs felt and the way Donghyuck’s dick felt in his hand, heavy and practically begging for his attention. 

When he gave it a tentative stroke, Donghyuck threw his head back until he could rest it on his chest. _“Yes.”_

Encouraged by Donghyuck’s moans, he began to move his hands in time with his own thrusts, slowly moving to chase his own relief as well. Like earlier, he started off slow, setting a rhythm, making sure to spread as much of the precum around Donghyuck’s length as best as he could. Reaching in between their bodies, Mark gathered as much slick as he could before he splattered it onto Donghyuck, giving him just the slide that he needed. He thumbed at the slit, letting the precum drip down even more before he worked his hand up and down, squeezing his hand and twisting his wrist every so often, until Donghyuck was screaming for his name. 

“Faster.” Donghyuck cried out. “Faster, Mark.” 

“Okay,” he replied as he began to mark his way up Donghyuck’s neck, leaving behind blossoms of reds and purples.

As he began to move his hand faster, his thrusted followed along too. With how hard Donghyuck was squeezing his dick in between his thighs, the slick dripping down on it, Mark knew that he could have lasted that much longer either and he was not going to let himself cum before Donghyuck did. 

Gripping a little harder, Mark began to move his hand, fast. It only took a few more steady pumps before Donghyuck cried out his name one final time before he came all over the bedsheets with Mark following not much long after. 

Donghyuck’s arms all but gave out underneath him, sending the both of them tumbling onto the bed, gasping for air as they tried to catch their breaths and calm their hearts. 

“You, okay, baby?” He asked, kissing Donghyuck’s bare shoulder. 

“Oh, trust me, I am _more_ than okay.” Donghyuck giggled, a sound so sweet ringing out across the room. “I don’t know how a knot feels, but it probably felt something like that and it was amazing.” 

Laughing at his blissed out answer, Mark shook his head. “You’re silly.” 

“I thought that you said that I was insufferable.” 

“You’re that too.” Mark replied, smiling. 

And then, even though his arms were protesting against it, he lifted himself up and off of Donghyuck’s body. Reaching over for the wet cloth that they casted aside earlier, Mark began to clean and wipe away at the mess that he made on Donghyuck’s body. 

Donghyuck let out another giggle when he pushed Donghyuck back around to face him so that he could clean the mess on his stomach. “You’re ticklish aren’t you?” 

“Just a little.” Donghyuck hummed, eyes slowly falling shut. “But I know that you are too.” 

“And how do you know that?” 

“Johnny told me.” 

“Ah, of course Johnny told you.” Mark laughed. “He probably told you a bunch of dirty secrets too, didn’t he?”

“He sure did.” 

“I’m really curious to know what he did tell you, but at the same time I don’t think I want to know what he said.” Mark shook his head, casting away the dirty towel. Hauling Donghyuck back up to the center of the bed, he slipped into the spot beside him before pulling the covers over both of their bodies. 

Snuggling up close into his embrace, Donghyuck buried his face into his neck, taking in a lungful of his scent and sighed. It grew quiet after that. With the way that Donghyuck’s breathing slowly evened out, Mark thought that he had gone to sleep. 

“I’m sorry for not believing you…” 

Mark breathed in deeply for really didn’t want to have that conversation. He didn’t want to fight with Donghyuck, especially not after what they had just done together. “It’s okay, Donghyuck. You didn’t know.” 

“Exactly,” Donghyuck sighed. “I didn’t know and I was quick to judge you. I was far too quick to believe the words of the stranger instead of yours. It was foolish of me to do so.”

Fingers dancing across the nape of Donghyuck’s neck, he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. Then linking their pinkies together, he said, “It’s okay. I forgave you a long time ago, Donghyuck. I could never hold something like that against you.”

.

Donghyuck’s heat finally broke seven day later. 

The air reeked of both of their scents, a mix of cherries and pine. His nose tickled at the scent, just like the way the top of Donghyuck’s hair tickled at his chin from where he was resting it on. The way that the sweat was still clinging to his body should have bothered him, since neither of them have had a proper shower in days, but Mark couldn’t find himself to be all that bothered by it. 

Instead he let himself sink deeper into the messy bed, arms wrapping themselves a little tighter around Donghyuck’s warm body. He dragged a hand up to twist themselves into Donghyuck’s curls, running his fingers through them, careful of the little knots in them. He smiled as he felt a sigh leave Donghyuck’s lips, caressing his collarbones with a breath of warm air. And he loved it just a little more when Donghyuck snuggled deeper into his chest, his lips kissing at his bare chest. 

Feeling a surge of warmth, like nothing he had ever experienced before, blossom within his chest, Mark returned the kiss, placing a soft one to Donghyuck’s hairline. “How are you feeling?” 

“Amazing,” Donghyuck breathed out, his voice sounding so content. It made Mark smile even wider as he heard his response, his alpha satisfied and proud. 

He wasn’t quite sure what time it was, perhaps some time in the early morning because the sun had yet to make its presence known. The sky was still a dusty purple, the edges ebbed with a light orange. There was a slight chill in the air, prickling at his skin, but Mark barely paid it any mind, not when he had a warm omega curled into his side. Donghyuck was like the sun itself, burning warm and bright, drawing him in like a moth to the light. It didn’t matter if he would burn himself for trying to get closer to Donghyuck. Donghyuck could beckon him in all that he wanted and Mark would follow him, even if it meant that he would have to be burned in the process. For Donghyuck, Mark would do anything. 

“You know,” Donghyuck began to say, his voice soft and sweet as he spoke, “I never would have thought that I would be saying this, not in a million years, but… I don’t think I ever want to leave…” 

It took a moment for Donghyuck’s words to fully sink into his brain and for him to comprehend what he said. When he finally did though, it took all of his willpower to not scream out loud in joy and to yell to the whole world that Donghyuck might just liked him back. 

Sucking in a deep breath, Mark continued to comb his fingers through Donghyuck’s hair, hoping that it would give him something to distract his mind from his frantically racing heart, something that he was sure that Donghyuck would have heard by now. 

“Hmm, so you don’t hate me as much as you used to then?” 

Mark felt Donghyuck turn rigid in his arms, before he let out a long sigh. Donghyuck shook his fingers out from his hair and propped himself up on Mark’s chest, chin digging into his sternum. Honey eyes boring into his own, Donghyuck mumbled out, “ _Hate_ is such a strong word, don’t you think? I think the better term to use is dislike.” 

He laughed. “ _Dislike_ ? Donghyuck, you’re sugarcoating it right now. If anything, I don’t think _hate_ was a strong enough word to describe how much you _loathe_ me. Granted, I was a bit of an asshole the first time we met.” 

“Okay, I didn’t loathe you,” Donghyuck pouted, his cheeks blooming pink. 

“Sure,” he laughed again. 

“Seriously, I didn’t!” Donghyuck argued, but it didn’t help him in any way except make Mark laugh a little harder. And when his cheeks turned from a rosy pink to a fire red, Mark took mercy on him and tried to subdue his laughs as best as he could. It would only when his laughs had turned into a wide smile that Donghyuck continued on. “But no, I don’t dislike you as much as I used to. You’re honestly so different than what I had expected you to be. And before I knew it, that dislike mellowed out and turned into something much sweeter. You know how there’s a fine line between love and hate…” 

His cheeks were aching with how much and hard he was smiling, but he didn’t care. Hand coming up to cup Donghyuck’s face, he watched the way that Donghyuck’s eyes fluttered shut as he brushed his thumb across his cheeks, traveling over his pretty freckles. Voice soft and barely audible, he whispered, “Are you trying to say that you love me, Donghyuck?” 

“Maybe?” Donghyuck offered. 

“Donghyuck…”

“Okay, fine.” Donghyuck blushed, cheeks warming up against his fingers. Eyes still closed, sooty lashes on displayed, he said, “I love you Mark and I don’t think that I ever want to leave. I want to stay here, like this, forever.” 

“Then stay.” Mark kissed him gently, lips brushing across Donghyuck’s. “Stay here, with me, forever.”

He watched the way that Donghyuck all but melted in his arms, eyes so, _so_ warm like actual pools of honey staring back at him. Similar to the smile that was on his lips the entire time, Donghyuck was wearing one too. And that was all that he needed before he leaned in even closer,“Give me the honor to court you." Lips brushing the shell of Donghyuck’s ear, he said, "Be my mate, Donghyuck.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Stay healthy, happy, and safe everyone! <3
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/markeuhyuckie/status/1239041276454076417?s=20) | [cc](https://curiouscat.me/markeuhyuckie)


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